PRESS RELEASE
1st December 2014
Tara Arts in association with Queen’s Hall Arts & Black Theatre Live present:
Macbeth
New touring consortium formed to take BAME theatre to mid-scale venues across
England; debut production is Jatinder Verma’s modern-day cross-cultural take on
Shakespeare’s tragedy
TOURING NATIONALLY: Wednesday 25 February – Saturday 9 May 2015
PRESS PERFORMANCE: Friday 27 Feb, Queen’s Hall Arts, Hexham
LONDON PRESS PERFORMANCE: Friday 27 March, Stratford Circus
Macbeth is the first production from Black Theatre Live, a pioneering consortium of 8 regional theatres
committed to increasing the amount of Black and Ethnic Minority theatre on the touring circuit. Spun
together with a blend of Indian music and movement, this brand new production from one of the UK’s leading
cross-cultural theatre companies sees Shakespeare’s tragedy reimagined in a contemporary context, as a brew
of treachery and ambition sets an Asian family on a road to destruction. The production sees the engineers of
Macbeth’s downfall depicted as three Hijras. A strand of Indian society little-known in the west, Hijras are a
centuries-old “third gender” community (including transsexuals, transgender people, eunuchs and crossdressers).
Tara Arts Artistic Director Jatinder Verma, who will direct Macbeth said “Spirits in Indian traditions combine
vivacity with viciousness. By casting the Witches in Macbeth as provocative Bollywood queens, I aim to explore
the dangerously vain ambition driving Macbeth.”
With over 35 years of experience, Tara Arts are established as one of the UK’s foremost creators of crosscultural theatre. Their work, which consists of both new writing and reimagined classics, seeks to make
imaginative connections across communities, to help foster a global sensibility from their own locality. The
company was founded in 1977 by Artistic Director Jatinder Verma, along with Sunil Saggar, Ovais Kadri,
Praveen Bahl & Vijay Shaunak.
Through a 3-year programme, Black Theatre Live will bring high quality performances from culturally diverse
perspectives to mid-scale venues across the country. The initiative is a partnership of Tara Arts, Derby Theatre,
Queens Hall (Hexham), the Lighthouse (Poole), Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds, Theatre Royal Margate,
Stratford Circus (London) & Key Theatre (Peterborough).
The cast currently confirmed for Macbeth includes Robert Mountford, previously seen in Tara Arts co-production
with the National Theatre The Black Album. He has also performed for Tara in productions of The Merchant of
Venice and The Tempest. Robert’s other credits include Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare
Company and Silent Witness for the BBC. He will be joined by Shaheen Khan, whose credits include Rafta
Rafta at the National Theatre and the film Bend it Like Beckham.
Black Theatre Live is supported by Arts Council England
Running Time: Approx 2hrs 20 mins including interval | Suitable for Ages 12+
@Tara_Arts| #TaraMacbeth | www.tara-arts.com
Press Contact: Elin at Mobius 020 3195 6269 or elin@mobiusindustries.com
Company Information
Cast Includes Robert Mountford, Shaheen Khan
Directed by Jatinder Verma
Designed by Claudia Mayer
Tour Listings Information
25 – 27 Feb
Queen's Hall Arts, Hexham
Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3LS
01434 652477 | www.queenshall.co.uk
3 Mar
Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield
Queens Square, Queens Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2SP
01484 430528 | www.thelbt.co.uk
6 – 7 Mar
Theatre Royal Margate
Addington Street, Margate, CT9 1PW
01843 292795 | www.theatreroyalmargate.com
10 Mar
Buxton Opera House
Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN
1.30pm, 7.30pm | £14, £17
0845 127 2190 | www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
12 - 14 Mar
Taliesin, Swansea
Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PZ
01792 60 20 60 | www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk
17 & 18 Mar
Lighthouse Poole
21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG
1.30pm, 7.45pm | £17.50
0844 406 8666 | www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
20 - 21 Mar
artsdepot, London
5 nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, London, N12 OGA
020 8369 5454 | www.artsdepot.co.uk
26 - 28 Mar
Stratford Circus, London
Theatre Square, Stratford, London, E15 1BX
0844 357 2625 | www.stratford-circus.com
7 - 11 Apr
Theatre Royal Windsor
32 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1PS
01753 853 888 | www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk
14 - 18 Apr
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
6 Westgate, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 1P33 1QR
01284 769505 | www.theatreroyal.org
21 - 25 Apr
Derby Theatre
15 Theatre Walk, St Peter's Quarter, Derby, DE1 2NF
7.30pm, Matinees Weds & Sat, 2.30pm | £11 - £25.50
01332 59 39 39 | www.derbytheatre.co.uk
Press Contact: Elin at Mobius 020 3195 6269 or elin@mobiusindustries.com
28 & 29 Apr
Key Theatre, Peterborough
Embankment Road, Peterborough, PE1 1EF
7.30pm, Matinee Thurs, 2.30pm | £15, £13 (concs), £11 (matinee)
01733 207239 | www.vivacity-peterborough.com
5 - 9 May
Harrogate Theatre
Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1GF
01423 502 116 | www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
Notes to Editors
About Black Theatre Live
Black Theatre Live is a pioneering national consortium of 8 regional theatres led by Tara Arts, committed to
effecting change for BAME touring theatre through a sustainable 3-year programme of national touring,
structural support and audience development. Black Theatre Live is a partnership of Tara Arts, Derby
Theatre,Queens Hall (Hexham), the Lighthouse (Poole), Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds, Theatre Royal
Margate, Stratford Circus (London) and Key Theatre (Peterborough). Black Theatre Live expects to work with
emerging and established BAME companies across England to commission and tour high quality productions to
the consortia theatres over the coming 3 years. A structured audience development and community
engagement programmes will include live digital streaming and cinema relay.
Press Contact: Elin at Mobius 020 3195 6269 or elin@mobiusindustries.com